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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23020582">Beaten at the Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaqueen216/pseuds/dramaqueen216'>dramaqueen216</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Les Misérables - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:02:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23020582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaqueen216/pseuds/dramaqueen216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Grantaire accidentally terrifies Enjolras with a broken nose.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bahorel/Feuilly (Les Misérables), Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Beaten at the Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, you talked to E yet?” Bahorel asked Grantaire, kicking a punching bag.<br/>
“No. you know how I am. Can’t stay off the bottle. He wouldn’t talk to me. Not in a million years. Honestly, he would more likely go for his buddy there, Combeferre.” Grantaire responded, following suit.<br/>
“Man, that guy with the little glasses that he talks to all the time? He’s with Courfeyrac. They’ve been together for more than eight months, they just don’t do any PDA.”<br/>
“Really?! I mean, yeah cool.” he did not want Bahorel to know how totally awesome he felt. He’d wanted to talk to Enjolras for years. He just always said the exact opposite of what he should have.<br/>
Example 1; Enjolras started a small Project Graduation group. Grantaire did not know that was what it was, so accidentally offered a freshman whiskey. Mistake one.<br/>
Example 2; Wanting to ask him for extra help in Justice and Law class. The plan was to ask him the next time he saw him. This time was when taking out the trash. Something ripped the garbage bag, and so all of the beer and wine bottles fell out and smashed on the floor.<br/>
Example 3; Getting totally smashed at a party, then passing out on Enjolras’s doorstep.<br/>
Example 4;  that one time he went to church to be a good christian boy after trying AA. And chugging the communion. When it was real wine.<br/>
Example 5; being<br/>
Now that he thought about it, most of his problems had to do with alcohol<br/>
But in any case, he was determined to ask him if he wanted to go to the boxing match. It was the finals, and both Grantaire and Bahorel (who was on much better terms with him) were competing for their school. This was going to be it, he had to talk to them. Eventually. If he ever got the guts to talk to him.</p><p>	“Hi. Um…”<br/>
“Do you need something…”<br/>
“Grantaire. My name is Grantaire. I was wondering if you were going to go to the boxing match on… Friday? It’s the finals, most people will be there. I was just wondering if you were going to be there too.” Don’t die, don’t die, don’t die, he thought as he spluttered out the words.<br/>
“Of course. I’m going to publicize the Project Graduation and Student Government groups.” He said calmly. “Hey aren’t you the one who nearly gave a freshman alcohol?”<br/>
“Um, shit, actually, uuuuuh… yes, that was me,” he said. If you’re going to talk to someone, you might as well be honest.<br/>
“Oh, I wanted to thank you, that student is now most likely going to take my place as the head of Project Graduation once I graduate. Having you do that really helped him realize how much we need this program.” he said with a small smile.<br/>
“Well, I guess I’m not totally useless. I can be used as a bad example.” Grantaire laughed. This was not going well at all.<br/>
“So, will you be competing in the event, Grantaire?” Enjolras asked.<br/>
“Yes, I’m going to be a boxer.  Not the dog. I mean, of course I’m not a dog, anyway, I’ll shut up.”<br/>
“See you then. It’s friday right? Only two days.” Enjolras turned and walked away.<br/>
Yeah, grantaire thought, two days away.</p><p>“How do I look?” Grantaire muttered to Bahorel.<br/>
“What kind of question is that? You’re wearing a boxing uniform, chill out man. Gosh, Fueilly must be having a panic attack out there. He always freaks out about these things, but these dudes can kick your ass so fast… don’t do anything stupid, okay? I doubt a broken nose is very attractive.” Bahorel muttered to himself, he was sweating and they didn’t even get out in the ring yet.<br/>
“Alright, two minutess, Bahorel, you’re out there first. I want a nice clean fight from you guys, you’re my top two boxers I’ve probably ever had. Bahorel, the guy you’re against’s weak on his left, remember that. Grantaire, other guy’s a little slow to block. Alright, head out.”<br/>
Bahorel beat his opponent easily, mainly because he was about twice the other guy’s size. Grantaire was much less lucky.<br/>
First the other guy aimed for his arm, then his chest and the fight continued until the other guy decided to go for the face. Three blows to the jaw, then one to the nose. He felt it break from the impact. He automatically swiped and knocked him down, then tried to stop the bleeding. The ref called it off, and grantaire looked at the crowd. He found the Project graduation area, but no Enjolras. There was a crowd nearby that were looking at something, but he didn’t know what. He was allowed out of the ring and made his way over.<br/>
Marius stopped him. “You might want to take care of your nose before you check on him.” Grantaire didn’t know what he meant, so strolled through the small crowd anyway.<br/>
At the center, a guy with blonde hair was curled up, shaking with tears of terror.<br/>
“What happened?” he asked.<br/>
“Well… we don’t know.” replied Cosette, “one minute he was fine then he was like that. Do you need a tissue for your nose?” In all of this, it didn’t occur to him that his nose was still bleeding. He took it, then squeezed in next to the guy. He lifted his head and Grantaire felt like he had been punched in the gut. It was Enjolras. When he saw him, Enjolras immediately gave him a hug, and continued to cry.<br/>
“What’s wrong?” Grantaire asked, bewildered. Two days ago this guy couldn’t remember his name, now he was hugging them like they came back from war. Then it occurred to him.  To him, that looked like a struggle for survival.<br/>
“He- he- hit you. You weren’t getting up-i thought you were hurt-Montparnasse told me- Never mind--you-you-I thought you were- i’m sorry.” he sobbed.<br/>
“What did Montparnasse tell you?” Grantaire asked. This could get bad. Montparnasse was the guys school gossip. He knew everyone’s business, and if you wanted to know something about someone, you asked him. But he had a habit of stretching things if he wanted more drama. Grantaire, under any other circumstances, would have demanded to know, then decided that would ruin any chance he had, so simply asked Enjolras to meet him outside the school the next day. It wasn’t until he was almost home that he realized he just asked him out. </p><p>	“Hey, how’s your nose?” enjolras asked outside on Saturday.<br/>
“Fine, honestly, thats not bad for those guys. They are fairly vicious. So, what did Montparnasse say to you?”<br/>
“He just came up to me one day and told me that he had heard Bahorel telling Feuilly that, well, you were… gay. And, um…i was kind of, um, happy. I guess.” Grantaire had never ever seen him act this way. He was always so composed. Chill. In control. Now he was stuttering, fidgeting, and blushing? What was going on? And he wasn’t that mad that Bahorel told Feuilly. Really, nothing bad had happened. He didn’t know who he was attracted to.<br/>
“I was actually wondering if you wanted to, I don’t know, get lunch sometime? If that’s okay with you Grantaire. God, that’s a weird name. Do you have a nickname?” he asked, back to being cool and composed.<br/>
“Just R. Sure, where?” Grantaire replied. He felt like he could kill Montparnasse right then and there, but he was way too happy.</p>
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